Brush attachment



Nov. 6, 1962 R. MILLER 3,06

BRUSH ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 24, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

RUDOLPH MILLER United States Patent Oflfice 3,061,854 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,061,864 BRUSH ATTACHMENT Rudolph Miller, 2282 W. Grand Blvd., Apt. 33, Detroit 8, Mich. Filed Oct. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 147,369 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-248) This invention relates generally to brushes used for painting, and more specifically to a removable paint drip catching tray for use in conjunction with such brushes.

One of the most unpleasant and diflicult operations in painting is experienced when the paint must be applied to areas with the brush posed above the horizontal position as in the painting of ceilings. Even the most skilled painter experiences considerable difficulty in maintaining the brush handle in a clean condition. My invention is directed towards the provision of a removable trough structure which may be applied around the base of the brush to protect the handle from contamination with paint, and to catch stray drops which would otherwise fall on the operator or the floor.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a flexible drip tray which may be removably secured about the base of a paint brush to catch excess paint drippings.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible drip tray of the above class which is simple to maintain in a clean condition, and may be manufactured in an economical manner.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a flexible drip tray of the above class which is durable in use, and greatly simplifies the task of painting ceilings and other obscure areas.

Briefly, my invention comprises an elongated rubber disc which is provided with a concentrically formed central opening adapted to tightly engage about the periphery of the base of a paint brush. The disc is shaped such that when stretched to engage over the brush base, the outer periphery of the disc curves upwardly to form a trough for catching paint droppings.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper side of the drip tray which comprises my invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional end elevation taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of a paint brush showing the drip tray mounted in position ready for use. The drip tray is shown in cross section.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 5 represents the base of a paint brush having a handle 6 and a bristle retaining collar 7. Bristles 8 extend norrnally from one end of the collar as is conventional in the art. The shape of the collar is substantially in the form of a rectangular sleeve having spaced sides 9 and semicircular end portions 10.

The invention consists of an elongated rubber disc 11 which may be injection molded from a simple two part die. The disc has parallel side edges 12 and connecting semi-circular ends 13 which are suitably shaped to form a peripheral rib 14. Disposed centrally and symmetrically of the disc is an elongated slot 15 which is surrounded by an upstanding collar 16. The outer sides 17 of the collar are connected to the peripheral rib 14 by raised reinforcing beading strips 18 and 19 disposed centrally of the length of the disc and centrally of the width thereof.

The slot 15 is formed in various sizes so that the collar tightly engages over the bases of various sizes of paint brush. Stretching of the collar 16, in order to achieve a tight engagement with the base, causes the disc to become dished in the form of a trough as best seen in FIG. 3. The peripheral rib forms a firm upturned edge to reinforce the flexible trough for catching excess paint such as 20 which may drip from the brush when upturned.

Having described the invention in a preferred form, it will be appreciated that some modifications may be made to the precise configuration, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible drip tray for removable attachment upon a paint brush comprising, in combination, an elongated rubber disc having a concentrically formed collar defining a central opening adapted to tightly engage about the periphery of the base of the paint brush, said disc normally assuming a substantially flat configuration, an outer peripheral rib integral with said disc, radially outwardly extending beading strips integral with said disc extending perpendicularly between said collar and said rib drawing said disc into a flexible trough in response to stretching of said disc, said collar upstanding from said disc a greater extent than said rib for engagement with the periphery of the base of the paint brush and spacing said disc therefrom.

2. A flexible drip tray as set forth in claim 1, wherein said disc is upwardly concave in a non-stressed condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

